13-09-1993

Israeli-Palestinian peace accord

The first peace accord between Israel and Palestine is signed at the White House in Washington, D.C. With President Bill Clinton presiding, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin hesitantly shook hands with PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat after signing an accord granting Palestine limited self-government on the Gaza Strip and in Jericho. The historic agreement, which promised an end to decades of bloodshed and animosity, was hammered out during secret talks in Norway. In 1994, Rabin and Arafat signed a formal peace agreement and were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The next year, a Jewish right-wing fanatic assassinated Rabin during a peace rally in Tel Aviv.